How is a critical lens conceptualised within, and what does it add to Parent, Child and Family Mental Health?

This project would be situated within the Prato International Collaborative for Improvement in Parent, Child and Family Mental Health ("The Prato Group"), but based in Warragul, Gippsland. The Prato Group (https://www.parentfamilymentalhealth.com/) a growing collaborative of researchers and change agents representing over 50 countries, who are committed to advancing the field of parental mental health and/or substance use disorders. The Steering Committee are embarking on a project to explore what a critical lens means in this research field, and how it might be useful to address longstanding knowledge gaps. The results of this study may be used in lobbying and advocacy with policy makers and funders internationally around evidence-based decision making for the resourcing of family mental health research. This qualitative project will involve data collection with Prato members, using a survey tool and focus group discussions. It will illuminate the ways that critical research is understood in this field and highlight strengths and opportunities as well as potential barriers and pitfalls to implementing rigorous critical research with families where a parent has a mental health challenge.